Field
This application relates to the construction and delivery of objects in the emerging field of additive manufacturing.
Background of the Invention
The field of additive manufacturing—often referred to as “3D printing,” “direct digital manufacturing,” and “rapid manufacturing”—is poised for enormous growth in the coming decades.
Fulfilling the promise of “replicators” envisioned long ago in the science fiction realm, additive manufacturing devices utilize computerized files (e.g., computer-aided design files or, simply, “CAD files”) to design and help build objects through one or more additive layering techniques.
Yet most innovations in the field to date have centered on advances in construction methods for use by professional manufacturers.
Among several interesting and relevant developments in the field, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,401,002, Jang teaches utilizing both liquid-based and powder-based build technologies to construct one or more objects. Jang's “multiple channel” process speeds manufacturing, permits the manufacture of colorful objects, and allows for an object to be created in a plurality of segments.
In U.S. 2011/0117268, Batchelder of Stratasys, Inc., a leading producer of additive manufacturing equipment, discloses encoding the exterior of build materials with markings able to be read by sensors. The markings are intended to identify material colors, material composition, and the level of remaining materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,220 (Reiff), U.S. Pat. No. 7,917,243 (Kozlak), U.S. Pat. No. 8,070,473 (Kozlak), and U.S. 2007/0071902 (Dietrich) teach embedding separate ID tag inserts into the build operations for additive manufacturing objects.
In turn, in an effort to construct more accurate and refined products, Nielsen 2004/0159978 teaches varying the concentration of material to reduce the “terracing” effect in additive manufacturing objects.
While the 3D printing field is advancing rapidly, particularly in relation to the professional manufacture of additive manufacturing objects, other key aspects in the field have largely been ignored. In particular, advances related to objects manufactured directly by consumers have, for the most part, been overlooked, as have advances associated with objects manufactured in retail establishments for consumers. Along these lines, Terry Wohlers, regarded as a leading expert in the field, indicated in a September 2008 interview in RapidToday.com that additive manufacturing will remain primarily a domain of professional manufacturers, with consumers possibly utilizing additive manufacturing to build toys and educational project—but not necessarily on a transformative scale. Wohlers stated in relation to broad at-home uses such as building replacement parts, “Even if you had a 3-D printer at home you probably would not be able to build the part due to a lack of material, dimensional accuracy, or color.” Those same limitations based on prior technologies were likewise thought to adversely affect the ability to build versatile and aesthetically pleasing toys. Concurring with these concerns, Robert Mitchell an IT expert with Computerworld, recognized in Dec. 21, 2011, “Some analysts doubt that the at-home 3D printer market will ever emerge. Instead, they say, service bureaus will build those custom parts or toys for you, whether it's a custom figurine or a part for your vacuum cleaner.” Yet Mitchell indicates that 3D printing could be on the verge of breaking out of its niche; Mitchell also quotes Wohlers as conceding that “the demand for 3D printed products among non-professionals is developing. It will be much larger than the professional market.”
In more recent months, the immense promise of the consumer-printing market is finally starting to be recognized, with Wohlers himself recently quoted in the Jan. 9, 2012 edition of Businessweek.com as now stating that “toys might be a big success. [A 3D printer] could be the last toy you ever buy your child. It's a multi-billion dollar market.” Similarly, Abraham Reichental, CEO of leading additive manufacturer 3D Systems, states in this same article that “this technology is going to end up in your kids' bedrooms and on the factory floor.” Potentially beating the larger manufacturers to the punch, an upstart company called Origo is hoping to distribute one of the first toy-oriented 3D printers, a low-cost device launching within the next 18 months.
In sum, the prior patent literature in the field had mainly emphasized additive manufacturing by professionals, and 3D printing experts are only beginning to recognize the vast potential of direct manufacture by consumers. This inventor believes the consumer 3D printing market to be far more substantial than even the sizable toy industry—and that creative advances for transforming the way we manufacture a variety of goods have been neglected in the sector. These creative advances pertain to the construction of additive manufacturing objects by consumers, as well as to the innovative delivery of 3D printed objects to consumers in their homes and via business establishments. This in-depth patent disclosure focuses on these breakthroughs.